Thinking of Going to Machu Picchu? Why You Should Head to the Sacred Valley

Even with the selfie stick–wielding crowds, Machu Picchu was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World for a reason. We’re not suggesting you skip the iconic archeological site altogether; we’re just reminding you the Incans built many other mind-boggling sites that are scattered throughout the region. Cusco has long been considered the ultimate base for exploring the ancient Incan civilization. But the city’s location, at a literally breathtaking 11,152 feet above sea level, requires a few days to acclimate, and the traffic and tourist traps (llama photo, anyone?) are reminiscent of Times Square. Travelers looking for more than a check-the-bucket-list experience should land in Cusco and head straight for the Sacred Valley, roughly just an hour away. Nestled between Cusco and Machu Picchu, this quiet stretch of small villages is set against the backdrop of mountain slopes resembling sleeping giants tucked beneath emerald-color blankets.

Many people make the mistake of day-tripping to the Valley en route to Machu Picchu or bypass it altogether. However, the Sacred Valley (also sometimes called the Urubamba Valley) offers a more authentic taste of ancient and living culture and puts you close to ruins including Pisac, Ollantaytambo, and Moray. Plus, its setting at about 9,400 feet above sea level allows you to skip the altitude-induced headaches so you can actually get out and enjoy the spectacular surroundings.

The opening of new hotels, a craft brewery, and plans for a destination restaurant from one of the world’s top chefs means the Sacred Valley is poised to become one of South America’s next hot spots. Here’s how to plan the perfect visit.

Where to StayHotel Sol y Luna , a pioneer in the Sacred Valley, offers a tranquil setting on 25 garden-filled acres. Regional architecture inspired the design of the clay and stone casitas, each decorated with murals by artist Federico Bauer. Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, one of Peru’s top culinary talents, oversees the menu at Killa Wasi restaurant, where guests can sample sophisticated takes on local delicacies like cuy (guinea pig). Guests can feel good knowing profits from the hotel get funneled into the adjacent intercultural school founded by owners Franz Schilter and Petit Miribel.

Last year, the sustainability-minded Inkaterra brand opened Hacienda Urubamba. The property’s 12-room main casa and 24 stand-alone casitas are perched high on a slope overlooking the valley floor. Your only neighbors are villagers, which means depending on your visit, you may get to experience local festivals and observe traditional costumes and dance performances. Guests are invited to pick their own produce, including the area’s famous giant corn and unique potatoes, from the 10-acre farm. And don’t miss Alfredo’s pisco sours at the bar.

The July opening of the 50-room Explora Valle Sagrado gives adventurous travelers a luxe new base. Explora’s first hotel outside of Chile is set on one of the valley’s most remote old corn plantations. Guests can choose from over 20 different activities that explore the surrounding communities and mountains by foot or bike. At day’s end, retreat to Casa de Baños Pumacahua, a 17th-century house turned spa, where weary muscles can be massaged or soothed in the sauna.

How to Explore Socially minded trekking company Mountain Lodges of Peru runs five or seven-day lodge-to-lodge hiking trips that allow travelers to share a traditional Pachamanca lunch (typically meats and vegetables cooked in the earth) with local villagers and meet some of the region’s cultural guardians, including people such as Doña María, a guardian of the natural dyes in Choquecancha. The choose-your-own-adventure philosophy means you can opt to spend all day hiking to remote alpine lakes and over high mountain passes or you can mix a half-day of hiking with cultural activities like cooking classes or market tours. All trips end with a requisite stop at Machu Picchu.

If you prefer to explore the Valley on two wheels, DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. recently introduced new six-day cycling tours that crisscross the Sacred Valley, making stops in to see the unique salt ponds in Maras as well as the workshops of one of Peru’s most famous ceramicists, Pablo Seminario. Rides range from nine to 17 miles per day. Your efforts are rewarded with incredible meals, including a picnic lunch at the lagoon of Huaypo and home-cooked meals in local homes. A highlight includes taking part in a traditional despacho ceremony, a sacred shamanic ceremony from the high Andes.

Eat & Drink Cuy, guinea pig, is a Peruvian staple and the town of Lamay is revered for its cuyerias, restaurants selling spit-roasted piglets. The town’s main drag is lined with restaurants, shacks, and street vendors selling supersized guinea pigs stuffed with herbs. Locals will tell you each spot is the same, though some market better than others. (Cuyrassic Park uses the Jurassic Park logo, but replaces the dinosaur with a guinea pig.) Bigger doesn’t mean better. The smaller cuy often have juicier meat.

A good beer used to be hard to find not just in the Valley, but all of Peru. Luckily Juan Mayorga, Joe Giammatteo, and Louisa de Heer opened Cerveceria del Valle Sagrado two years ago in Pachar and are slowly turning locals into beer snobs. The tiny brewery’s IPAs, sour ales, and stouts have been scooping up awards on the regional beer circuit. Stop in for a tasting and brewpub bites like chicharrón de pollo, Huamantanga potato fries, and Andean tequenõs.

Internationally, pisco is known as Peru’s spirit of choice. But the lesser known local hooch is chicha de jora, a corn beer that is fermented with the aid of saliva (some versions of chicha use malted barley). As you travel through local villages, a flag or plastic bag waving outside a storefront marks the local chicheria. The potent drink is too powerful for most tourists’ stomachs. Luckily, Inkaterra Hacienda Urubamba has opened a more sanitized chicheria on its grounds. Guests can harvest, grind, ferment, and finally taste their own chicha de jora. While you wait for your drink to ferment, you can test your skills with the local drinking game sapo, which entails trying to toss a coin into a frog’s mouth.

Next year, chef Virgilio Martínez Véliz, of the acclaimed restaurant Central (ranked fourth in the world by San Pellegrino), plans to open a space in the Sacred Valley, giving the area its first destination restaurant.

Souvenir to Take Home The tiny Andean village of Chinchero, set at 7,500 feet, is revered for its intricate textiles. Visit one of the women’s cooperatives and watch how the cochineal insect is crushed and turned into a bright red dye and soaked in cauldrons with alpaca wool. Ladies effortlessly spin spools of thread that gets woven into traditional patterns for blankets, sweaters, and ponchos.